More than two dozen picture books meant to help visually-impaired readers access popular titles were showcased to the public in an event at the General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

The exhibition displayed works submitted to a contest held to expand the library’s section for the visually impaired.

Visitors had a chance to read 31 tactile books recreated from well-known titles of a wide variety of genres, from fairy tales and traditional stories to history and science.

Among them are such popular titles as The Rabbit and The Turtle, Pinocchio, and Little Red Riding Hood, along with many other Vietnamese traditional stories.

A page of the Pinocchio tactile book. Photo: Lam Dien / Tuoi Tre

The top prize winner is the Cac loai Phuong tien giao thong van tai book created by the provincial library of the southern province of Dong Thap, helping visually impaired readers to visualize how different types of vehicle look.

The General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City will keep a copy of the award-winning book, while the original work will be shelfed at the Dong Thap library.

The page illustrating a sailboat is seen in the top prize-winning book. Photo: Lam Dien / Tuoi Tre

The tactile book-making competition encouraged libraries and other units to create products to meet the reading need of the blind, as well as helping the visually impaired to access reading materials similar to those available on the market for able bodied people.

The competition followed a training course on how to make tactile books for the blind held by the General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City in October 2018, which was attended by 40 representatives from different organizations, charities, and schools for the blind from the metropolis and other southern provinces.

After learning the most basic knowledge and techniques for tactile book making, the representatives returned to their localities to turn their ideas into real works to participate in the contest.

The Rabbit and The Turtle. Photo: Lam Dien / Tuoi Tre

The activity not only played an important role in providing the visually impaired with more reading materials, but also contributed to help the community better integrate in the society, according to participants.

They added that the book-making contest was a necessary and meaningful event as it helped draw people’s attention towards the blind and the necessity of helping them.

The General Science Library of Ho Chi Minh City started providing services for the blind in 1999, offering Braille books, audio books, and tactile books for visually impaired readers.

The library has held various activities to support the disadvantaged community integrate into society through books.

A page of a tactile book. Photo: Lam Dien / Tuoi Tre

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